This invention relates generally to generating, and transmission of light, as from different LED sources; and more particularly concerns improvements in compact arrangement of entry ports for LED pin terminals, in electrical connectors.
There is need for improvements in apparatus and method to overcome deficiencies and problems with incompatibility of pin terminal entry ports of prior connections.
It is a major object of the invention to provide improved apparatus and methods as referred to. Basically the invention provides an improved electrical connector that comprises
a) a body defining first and second electrical terminal entry ports,
b) the first entry ports including a group of four ports,
c) there being an LED unit having pin terminals respectively received in three of said four ports, three of such pin terminals adapted for delivering controllable electrical current for controlling color emitted by the LED,
d) another of said LED pin terminals received in a fourth one of the ports to provide an electrical common.
As will be seen, and in addition, the second entry ports may include two ports which are spaced closer together than any two of said group of four ports. Those two second entry ports are typically located in interspersed relation with the first entry ports, as for example within an a real zone defined by the first four entry ports.
Another object include provision of female electrical terminals in alignment with the first and second entry ports; and typically four of the female electrical terminals associated with the first four entry ports are adapted to receive the four pin terminals of a selected LED. Likewise, two of the female terminals associated with the second entry ports are adapted to receive two pin terminals of another selected LED, whereby the six ports of the connector are compatible with the pins of either of the two LEDs.
A further object is to provide each female terminal to have a sleeve, a tapered guide surface within said sleeve, and a spring finger having an edge to frictionally engage the surface of an LED unit terminal pin received in the sleeve.
A yet further object is to provide
a) a holder in the form of a socket at one end of the holder and a connector at the opposite end of the holder,
b) internal threads in the holder to threadably connect to an lens unit,
c) the connector having terminal ports,
d) and an LED unit having a light transmitting end received into the holder, said unit having pins received into said connector ports, for electrical connection to circuitry that energizes one or more LEDs in said unit.
As will be seen, six of such ports may be provided; and three of such ports may be in one row to define a first plane with another three of the ports in another row to define a second plane, the planes being parallel. Alternatively the ports in each row may be staggered.
Yet another object is to provide an LED to connector coupling method that includes
a) selecting one of two LED units, the first characterized as having four pin terminals, and the second characterized as having two pin terminals,
b) and inserting the pin terminals of the selected LED unit into one of said connector first entry ports and second entry ports spaced apart, and typically interspersed, to receive said pin terminals.
That method may typically also include providing electrical female terminals in alignment with said entry ports to receive insertion of said related pin terminals.
Further a hollow lens may be provided in alignment with the LED unit, and to internally receive the LED unit within a cavity in the hollow lens, for extreme compactness.